Category Archives: Poetry

בְּסוֹף הַיּוֹם

בְּסוֹף הַיּוֹם,לְעֵת לָיִל
,כְּלֵי עֲבוֹדָתִי שׁוֹבְתִים
.וְתָם עָמַל הַיּוֹם
,אֲרוּחַת הָעֶרֶב נִסְעָדַה
,וְהַבַּיִת דּוֹמֵם
.שָׁקֶט
,אֲנִי שׁוֹכֵב בְּמִטָּתִי
,וְלְאוֹר מְנוֹרַת הַלַּיְלָה
,קוֹרֵא
,דַּפִּים כְּתוּבִים בְּמַּקֵּל שֶׁל כּוּרְכּוּם
,סִפּוּרִים בְּהִירִים שֶׁל אַהֲבָה וְרֹךְ
,מִמָּקוֹם רָחוֹק
,וּזְמַן אַחֵר
,שֶׁהוּא כָּאן
.תָּמִיד

English Translation
February 14, 2017

Light

LightThe tiny car twirled once,
Then crumpled against the concrete barrier,
Inside it, light died down,
Alone,

Invisible raindrops,
Given instant recognition by passing headlights,
Washed the smoking wreckage,
Off its final sin.

Futures, plans,
And a world full of hopes,
Vanished in an instant,
For all of tomorrows.

Slumped in his seat,
Sat the life student,
An elusive lover,
A free bird.

The saturated earth accepted into her,
The body of a son,
His talents, imagination, and promises,
And the life that was.

The world spun on,
Weaving cobwebs of pain and loss,
And a love cut short,
Yearning a lifetime for completion.

 

November 30, 2016

טִיּוּל

,הַלַּיְלָה, בְּאַרְבַּע וַרֶבַע לִפְנוֹת בֹּקֶר
.הָלַכְתִּי לְטַיֵּל עִם אַבָּא שֶׁלִּי
,הֶחְנֵיתִי אֶת הָאוֹטוֹ
,בְּצַּד הַכְּבִישׁ, לְיַד הַפַּארְק
.וְנָעַלְתִּי אוֹתוֹ

,אַבָּא כְּבָר חִכָּה שָׁם
.לְיַד הַנַּחַל
,הִתְחַלְנוּ לָלֶכֶת
.וּלְשׂוֹחֵחַ

,דִּבַּרְנוּ עַל דְּבָרִים
.שֶׁעוֹמְדִים לִקְרוֹת
,אֲנִי לֹא זוֹכֵר עַל מָה בְּדִיּוּק
,אֶלָּא רַק שֶׁהֵם הָיוּ דְּבָרִים מוּזָרִים
.וְהָלַכְנוּ

,אַבָּא לָבַשׁ אֶת הַחֲלִיפָה הַחוּמָה הַמַּצְחִיקָה שֶׁלּוֹ
,וְטִיַּלְנוּ
.אֲנִי לֹא זוֹכֵר לְאָן

,אַבָּא כְּבָר אֵינוֹ פֹּה
,אֵין מַמָּשׁ פַּארְק כָּזֶה
,וְכָל הַדְּבָרִים הַלָּלוּ
,לֹא יִקְרוּ עוֹד
.אַף פַּעַם

English Translation
January 12, 2016

Still Life

Aelbert Jansz. van der Schoor, Vanitas Still Life with Skulls on a Table, 1660

Aelbert Jansz. van der Schoor, Vanitas Still Life (Skulls on a Table), 1660

A silent scream,
From distant time,
Suspended in a darkened room.

An open mouth,
No eyes to see,
Set teeth exposed,
With hollow skulls.

A group of friends,
Or foes till death?
No one to tell,
Of end demise.

Day come, day go,
The scene a freeze,
Old dust specks rest,
In canvas weaves.

 

January 27, 2016

Stone Horse

Stone horse stands still at hill side,
Quiet,
Valley meadow strings in green and brown,
Wind floats flocks of birds at sky-high,
Swirls autumn leaves to final rest below.

Life rises and fades at stone horse giant footsteps,
Often taking refuge in its serene shade,
Stone horse makes a step in a millennium,
On his way to meet awaiting mare.

 

July 18, 2015

American Eulogy

(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

When I am shot,
Please do not feel sorry for me,
Do not pray for me,
Or keep me in your thoughts.

When I am shot,
It will likely be an act of random violence,
A chance encounter with one bullet,
Perhaps a few more.

When I am shot,
I may die instantly,
Or bleed to death,
Lying on the ground.

Alternatively, I could just be maimed,
Like so many gunshot victims,
Living a handicapped life,
Once the news cycle turns.

I will be shot,
Someone will be, for sure,
Later today, tomorrow, you can never choose,
It just happens a lot.

Oh, America, my beloved,
The land of the free,
Apple pie and baseball,
Sky-high dreams,
And the AR-15

Here, oh great nation,
Life of liberty and happiness,
Is contingent on,
The freedom to possess,
Weapons of war.

So, friends and compatriots,
When I or you are shot,
Do not cry, do not despair,
It will be for a great cause,
The freedom to be murdered.

 

June 15, 2016

Evolution

Evolution

The feral crawled down into the pit,
And spent some untold time there,
When the sun disappeared it emerged,
A gemstone shining its path.

,יַרַָד הַפֶּרֶא אֶל הַבּוֹר
,שַהָה שָׂם אֵי זְמַן
,וּכְשֶׁיַּרָד הַיּוֹם עָלָה הוּא
.וּבְרֹאשׁוֹ אֶבֶן אוֹר
October 7, 2013

Blind Spot

I’m underwater,
In the pavement,
Subterranean,
Hear my voice.

Gagged and blind,
By great a burden,
My mind is certain,
Feel my thought.

Here beside you,
Finger distant,
Thick as iron,
Clear as air.

Shame not, bar pity,
Tears like rain are.
Save awareness,
Peace behold.

 

July 6, 2013

יוֹם הַזִיכָּרוֹן

,שָׁלוֹם חֲבֵרִים
,מִזְּמַן לֹא הִתְרַאֵינוּ
,קָשֶׁה כָּכָה
.אֲנִי לֹא בְּעִנְיָן שֶׁל מַצֵּבוֹת
,מִדֵּי פַּעַם יוֹצֵא לִי לְדַבֶּר אִתְּךָ
,אוֹ אִתְּךָ
.אוֹ אִתְּךָ
,אַף פַּעַם לֹא בַּיַּחַד
.וְתָמִיד בְּזְּמַנִּים לֹא מְתֻכְנָנִים

,שָׁלוֹם חֲבֵרִים
,עָבַר הָמוֹן זְמַן מֵאָז שֶׁהִתְרַאֵינוּ
.שָׁנִים, יוֹבְלוֹת, חַיִּים שְׁלֵּמִּים
,קָרוּ מִלְיוֹן דְּבָרִים מֵאָז
,לִמּוּדִים, מִשְׁפָּחָה, קַרְיֵירָה
.דְּבָרִים שֶׁל מְבֻגָּרִים
,אַתֶּם נִשְׁאַרְתֶּם אָז
,בְּנֵי עֶשְׂרִים וּמַשֶּׁהוּ
.אוֹ אֲפִלּוּ לֹא כִּמְעַט

,שָׁלוֹם חֲבֵרִים
.חַיִּים שְׁלֵּמִּים חָלְפוּ מֵאָז הַתִּיכוֹן וְהַצָּבָא
.הַיּוֹם הוּא יוֹם שֶׁבּוֹ זוֹכְרִים אֶת כֻּלָּם בְּבַת אַחַת
,קָשֶׁה, כִּי אָז כֻּלָּם שָׁם
,וְרוֹעֵשׁ וְעָמוּס וּמֵעִיק
.וְאֵין אֶת הָאִינְטִימִיוּת שֶׁבְּשִׂיחָה שְׁקֵטָה וְאַקְרָאִית
.בִּכְלָל, בָּתֵּי קְּבָרוֹת הֵם לֹא מָקוֹם בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה
,עָדִיף אוּלַי לְהַמְתִּין כַּמָּה יָמִים
.לְשׁוֹךְ הַטְּקָסִים וְכַתָּבוֹת הַזִיכָּרוֹן
,נַמְשִׁיךְ לְשׂוֹחֵחַ אָז
.חֲבֵרִים

יום הזכרון, תשע”ו
English Translation
May 10, 2016

Two Hundred Grounded Sheep

Two Hundred Grounded SheepNight had draped its gloomy cast,
Over hill and meadow,
Two hundred sheep stand still,
Their shadows murky pools in the dark grass.

Shepherd dogs lay to the side,
Their ears perked for the night clatters,
Eyes closed,
The soft wind swirls over distant scents,
To their wet snouts

Bleats are produced and returned,
As the herd graze in laud silence,
Bats take sharp turns over head,
Chasing elusive mosquito clouds,
Swarming in the rising warm breath.

First call for help is heard beyond the distance,
Heads turn in the direction of the farm fence,
Jaws move in constant ruminant,
No hoof is lifted for a run.

More calls arrive, repeated,
People in their beds, lay waiting for a count,
Eyes closed, or staring at the ceiling,
The fence remains unchallenged,
The world remains awake.

 

January 21, 2015